Speculation is mounting that the German government is actively seeking a replacement for Deutsche Telekom chairman Ron Sommer. It is widely expected that Sommer will be sacked before the German elections take place in September. The government, which owns a 43% stake in Deutsche Telekom and has two seats on the supervisory board, is expected to exert its influence on the company to remove Sommer.
Ron Sommer has become increasingly unpopular with Deutsche Telekom’s 2.7 million shareholders after the slump in the company’s share price and increase in debts. It is believed that replacing Sommer would prove to be a substantial vote winner for the ruling SPD party, which is currently falling behind in the opinion polls.
